Customer Reviews

Oster 5711 Mechanical Food Steamer, White

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This food steamer works extremely fast. Within 10 minutes of turning it on, you will have perfectly steamed broccoli, asparagus, etc. I love the fact that there is no need to watch over it (as you would have to if you were using a pan of boiling water with a steamer top) and that the machine keeps the food warm for you after it has finished cooking until you are ready to use it. In addition, it includes two tiered steaming bowls (for joint cooking of items that need to be kept separate or that have two different cooking times) as well as a separate rice cooker. It really makes it easier to eat your veggies.

I was reluctant to purchase a food steamer because I have a family of very picky veggie eaters and thought this was the only use for this machine. After reading previous reviews on this product, I bought it anyway because the price was right and I decided I could at least use it as a rice cooker. My first meal I made was by placing some flavored rice mix and some cut up raw chicken in the rice bowl of the steamer and turned it on. It turned out perfectly!! This machine can be used to reheat leftovers, steam ANYTHING and make hard cooked eggs. The possibilities are endless and has now become a staple appliance in my kitchen!! A word of caution, BE CAREFUL opening the steamer after cooking, I got overly anxious and got a wicked steam burn!!

This is also very easy to clean~ I placed it in the top rack of the dishwasher, is quiet, and very durable. A MUST HAVE kitchen item!

WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL STEAMERS BUT THIS ONE TOPS THEM ALL OF EASE OF USE, QUIETNESS AND FOOD PREPERATION. IT IS THE QUIETNESS AND IMMEDIATE STEAM (WITHIN 30 SECONDS FROM TURNING IT ON)THAT MAKE THIS PRODUCT SO SUPERIOR. I PREFER TO USE DISTILLED WATER TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE HEATING COIL - BUT - AT THIS PRICE - I WOULD CERTAINLY PURCHASE ANOTHER OSTER WITH SIMILAR RELIABLITY AND FEATURES!

my main problems with this appliance is the difficulty of cleaning the reservoir area which shows the water depth from the outside... and the fact that the print on the outside washes off... makes it hard to tell how long you are setting the timer

I gave this 3 stars instead of 4 due to the very poor user manual. I own the Black & Decker steamer and love it for vegetables & hard boiled eggs. I thought Black & Decker had a booklet lacking and indeed it does. The book with this Oster is worse. They don't have any recipes and they don't give any amounts of water to be used in the reservoir. The Black and Decker has three levels of water and the book states the amount of water to use with each item to be steamed. The Oster has two levels and leaves it up to you to decide - can't say that I am impressed with this. I tried it for asparagus and they turned out great - but I used the amount of water that was suggested with my Black & Decker. Oster - shame on you. I bought this as an addition to my Black & Decker since I wanted to be able to cook asparagus without cutting them in two and I wanted to be able to cook fish for two. The size is better for fish and asparagus but the unit is much larger than the Black & Decker.

Now that I have had this for a few years I am updating my review. Disregarding the book I give it 5 stars. I now use this over my Black & Decker because it is bigger and a better shape. I gage the amount of water to use on the amount of time it takes to cook the particular food. No home should be without this steamer. Foods taste better steamed and are healthier for you.

This is my first Steamer.
I got this for Christmas and am still in love with it.
It makes steam SO fast... I use it everyday--often more than once a day.
I'm even seriously considering getting another one because I often have to wash the lid before I can use it again.
I haven't tried rice yet, but I have steamed everything including tortillas (Gosh! Burritos are so much easier and fun to make now), chicken, veggies, potatoes, and my all time favorite:Yams.

Pros: Super fast,needs very little supervision and has a warming feature that spouts steam every few minutes after the timer runs out. Also, very very easy to clean and not at all complicated.

Cons: I'm always tempted to salt my food before putting it in the steamer. Also, well, its very nice but it looks a little cheap because it is made from plastic. But, it is sturdier and of a higher quality than the plastic represents.

FYI,, the picture makes it look like you can just load it up with food. Not so. It isn't as tall as the pic makes it look, and if you need to use the small bowl, it takes up a lot of room.

I use this steamer on an almost daily basis. I love it and would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for one small complaint. The reservoir tends to become slightly stained by - and hold the odor of - whatever is being steamed. Cleaning it with vinegar helps.

I bought this steamer as a result of researching egg cookers. It's great for eggs, and you don't have to pierce the shells. It's great for everything I've tried so far - veggies, rice, fish. As for cleaning the water reservoir, I empty the steamer after each day's use - to reduce deposits on the heating element from the water being re-used and getting salts concentrated in it. After I empty the steamer, I tip it upside down to get as much water out of the resevoir as possible. Re-using the same water over and over is not a good idea.

I was married close to 5 years ago and out of ALL the wedding gifts, this one wins the prize!!! We use it at least twice a week, sometimes 5 times a week! Corn on the cob, broccoli, etc NEVER TASTED BETTER than cooked in this steamer... No more creams, sauces and artery clogging stuff on the vegetables. Also, since both of us work full-time, this is so great cause it could not be easier to use!! This is my wedding gift to others:) It's so great to be able to give a gift that helps loved ones eat and stay healthy!

I love this steamer it makes making rice so easy. The oval shape makes it easy to steam many differnt things in it. It also makes fool-proof hard steamed eggs. The reasonible price is also a winner. I would recommend this product to anyone.